Memphis Redbirds Report: Season in Review

Brent Diederich

09/04/2007

The final Triple-A Memphis Redbirds report of 2007 from our on-site beat reporter, Brent Diederich. Ryan Ludwick, Rick Ankiel and Brendan Ryan are three of the Triple-A club's contributors to the Major League club this past season.

Recap

To say it was a long and trying
season for Memphis may be an understatement.The Redbirds finished 56-88, 33 games
behind Nashville in the Pacific Coast League
North.The team struggled to put
complete games offensively and on the mound together.

Still, it was not a season devoid of
excitement.Rick Ankiel proved that
he is a one-of-a-kind baseball player as he transformed himself from a pitcher
to a power hitting outfielder.Ankiel took over the spotlight after Ryan Ludwick was called up early in
the season for his brilliant performance.Soon after, Ankiel established himself as one of the most feared hitters
in the PCL, blasting 32 home runs in only 389 at bats.

The season also gave us the comebacks of Troy Percival and Mark Mulder, from retirement and surgery respectively.The Cardinals also promoted promising
young prospects Joe Mather and Jarrett Hoffpauir for the second half and each
gave a glimpse into how good they can become.

OF Ryan Ludwick started the season
off in Memphis and he started off on fire.Ludwick had eight home runs and batted
.340 in his first 106 at bats.He
continued to hit after his promotion to St.
Louis, hitting 11 home runs and driving
in 38 runs while sharing time.

OF Rick Ankiel has been discussed
more than any other player in Memphis and rightfully so given his
performance.When he left
Memphis, he was leading the PCL in home
runs, and he was the only Redbird to have a walk-off home run.Since leaving
Memphis, Ankiel hasn't missed a beat,
hitting .343 with six home runs and driving in 19.

OF Joe Mather had a rough start in
Memphis but has picked up his play.Mather finished with a .271 average with
31 home runs and 77 RBI between Springfield and
Memphis.Mather also had 27 doubles and 10 stolen
bases between AA and AAA.

RP Kelvin Jimenez was terrific in
his 30 appearances in Memphis.Jimenez had a 2.72 ERA while walking
only 11 and striking out 34 in 39.2 innings.Jimenez was the perfect bridge between
the starter and closer as he often came in in the seventh and eighth innings of
games.

RP Brian Falkenborg has had a good
season filling in at closer and as a setup man.Falkenborg accumulated a 3.25 ERA while
recording 23 saves and allowing only two home runs in 52.2
innings.

Who's Not - Year in
Review

C Brian Esposito had an extremely
unremarkable season, batting only .178 with four home runs and 16 RBI.Esposito's OBP ended at only .217 and
managed only 10 extra base hits in 242 at bats. He was removed from the
Cardinals 40-man roster at the completion of the season, one in which he made
his first Major League appearance, a brief cameo.

INF Travis Hanson entered the
season as a player looking to regain his prospect status but unfortunately the
season didn't go as planned.Hanson
had only 14 RBI and nine extra base hits in 254 at bats.He managed to hit only .217 with an OBP
of .246, hardly what the organization expected of him. He also left the 40-man
late in the season.

LHP Troy Cate had a terribly tough
second half, ending with a 6.81 ERA.Cate started the year off strong and went to
St.
Louis but was sent down and really
struggled out of the team's bullpen. He did not receive a call back to
St.
Louis in
September.

What We Know - Year in
Review

Well,
2007 season is over in Memphis, but
because of the Redbirds, the St. Louis Cardinals are still in the hunt for the
playoffs.The development of
players like Ankiel and Brendan Ryan has meant a lot to the big league
club.Ankiel has put himself in
place to be a star in the Cardinal outfield.Ryan is a player who needed at-bats this
year after several injuries and he got them in Memphis.After he impressed in
Memphis, Ryan
has gone up to St.
Louis and
filled in at several different positions while still contributing with his
bat.Memphis was
also the launching pad for Ryan Ludwick and the resurrection of his career.The minor league system for the
Cardinals has enabled the team to compete this year and possibly for the next
couple with the development of Hoffpauir and Mather.

The
pitching staff in Memphis was a
bit of a letdown with no real dominant starter on the roster.Blake Hawksworth was a player that was
highly thought of but failed to impress for the most part.Mike Parisi was the team's workhorse,
leading the team in innings and not missing a start.Parisi progressed as the season went on
but was never dominant.The relief
core showcased some youngsters with potential such as Mark Worrell, Andy Cavazos
and Chris Perez.Others such as
Mike Sillman and Dennis Dove went down with injuries and their seasons were
lost.Perez is a player to watch
for next year, as is Worrell; those two have the opportunity to be big leaguers
if they continue to use their talents.

Thanks
to everyone who read the Memphis Report this year, I enjoyed writing it and
covering the team.I'd also like to
thank the staff at The Birdhouse. It's been a great year; Go
Cardinals!